You heard him before you even saw him. Sniffling back your tears, you tried to rub your eyes, hoping that you could see better in the darkness. A shadow stepped from behind the trees and you squinted, hoping you could see it better. You are too young to be truly aware of all the dangers in the forest, but you know enough of the basics, being raised by a family of hunters.

When the cloud shifted, you saw him in his full glory. Tall with black hair falling over his forehead, he looked at you with glowing amber eyes that dulled into a warm dark brown as they adjusted to the light. Your voice caught in your throat and you finally fell back to the ground as fear finally overwhelmed your small body. You were still scared... yet at the same time, you also felt saved.

The stranger continued watching you silently, his head leaning a little to the side as if it was the first time he was seeing a child break down. Slowly and carefully, he crossed the distance to where you sat, kneeling in front of you to peer at your face.

"Why are you here?" He asked softly, tone soothing like a lullaby. You simply shook your head and buried your face into your knees as you curled into a ball.

"You are lost…" he whispered, and your cries only grew louder. His face, too beautiful to be human, creased with worry as he watched you.

"Will you look at me, love? I can help you get out of here…"

Maybe it was just your imagination, but you thought you heard the soft voice of your mother when he spoke again. That made you finally look up, and you were met by his dazzling smile once more.

"What's your name?"

You pursed your lips.

"I do need to know it for me to help...don't worry. I won't hurt you. I'm a friend," he said gently, his voice back to its low tone. You don't know why, but just listening to him makes you calm down, your breaths evening with every word he says. Softly, you whispered your name to him.

He smiled beautifully, the moonlight throwing radiance to his perfect set of teeth.

"That's a pretty one. Will you let me touch you? I can guide you to the forest so you could find your family," he asked as he gently reached out his hand to you. You stared at his long fingers, his pale skin, and the dark dried stain on the tips of his nails before finally reaching out to wrap your hand around his wrist. He smiled wider before adjusting your grasp so he was holding you securely instead.

"Good girl. Now, will you tell me where your home is? What does it look like?"

You sniffled but forced yourself to speak up despite the roughness of your throat. You've been screaming so hard for your parents for what seemed like hours that even saying a few words hurt.

"T-the Red...House," you mumbled as you wiped the remaining tears clinging to your lashes. Your answer made the stranger beside you freeze momentarily, his eyes staring beyond as if something just struck him.

"Mister…?"

He turned his head to finally look down on you as you called for his attention and for a brief half second you were terrified. His eyes were blazing, dead, and his lips parted ominously. The whole vision of it shocked you, making you let out a soft sob, but when you blinked again, he was back to looking normal. Slowly, he smiled before tugging you gently once more.

"The Red House, I see. I know where that is. Come on now. Let's get you home before the night gets deeper."

It was not long after when you finally noticed the trees thinning around you. You don't know how much time has passed since you started finding your way out of the forest with him, but when your mind cleared, you realized that you weren't even walking on your own. Instead, you were tucked in his arms, him holding you securely against his body. You shivered slightly from how cold he felt, but he didn't seem to notice as he finally closed the distance between the rough path you are treading and the edge of the forest.

A smile broke from your lips when you finally saw your home appear around the clearing. In your excitement, you wriggled from his hold to toddle towards it a bit before turning to grin at him.

"It's that! My home!" You pointed at it excitedly, cheeks glowing. He smiled though he remained standing at the edge of the woods.

"It is. Well, go on now. Your family must be waiting for you."

You nodded excitedly and turned to start running towards it when you suddenly stopped to look back at your savior. He was still watching you curiously, his eyes twinkling in the dark. You took a few steps towards him again and raised your arms as if asking him to carry you once more.

"Mister, do you want to come? Mama can give you hot cocoa."

One corner of his lips crooked into a smile. He looked like he was internally laughing at a joke only he knew.

"No, thank you, Princess. But maybe you can invite me in at a later time. I'd like that very much," he said smoothly, voice sounding like honey. You blinked and nodded.

"What's your name?"

He didn't answer at first. The light of the moonlight shifted then and for the first time you could properly see his full beauty. He looked like one of the angel statues that guarded the cemeteries in town, the ones weeping over the graves of long lost souls. His features were soft and perfect, but his gracefulness seemed to be touched by something rough...and wild. It showed when he smiled at you one last time, eyes hooded.

"Jaemin. My name is Jaemin."

-----

The next time you met again, you were thirteen. It was a warm afternoon in the forest and you were only barely managing to balance the weight of the crossbow flung over your shoulder. Sweat dripped from your forehead down the ridge of your nose as your eyes followed the pheasant that appeared from between the bushes a few meters away. Holding your breath, you slowly pulled the trigger to send your arrow flying towards it.

It missed it by mere inches, but it was enough for the fowl to be alerted and scuffle like a rocket towards the other direction. You groaned in frustration as you picked yourself up from your hiding spot and tried to balance your weapon between your hands.

"You pulled the trigger too early."

A low, but clear voice made you jump from your spot in surprise. Turning around, you saw a boy sitting against the bark of a tree just a few feet away from you, his stance relaxed as if he had been there for ages. You gaped at him as you tried to calm your heartbeat down and he answered your gaze by leaning his head a little to the side.

"How—how long have you been there?" You croaked as you shot him a suspicious look. You didn't know if you were simply still so bad at hunting, but you were sure you didn't hear anything that gave away the presence of another within your vicinity. The stranger simply looked at you as if he didn’t even hear your question in the first place.

"How old are you now?"

You frowned. He smiled charmingly at you, eyes crinkling on the sides as he did.

"Old enough not to get lost in the forest anymore, I guess…"

That was the moment when realization hit you. Your memories were a little hazy by now to remember the details, but there is no way you could forget the stranger from when you were a child. Your eyes rounded, lips parting in surprise.

"You're the mister."

He slowly picked himself up from where he was sitting and you couldn't help but notice the expensive material of his clothing when he finally straightened to his full height. Quickly, you glanced at your own outfit, a simple brown dress with frayed hems and a tear on one sleeve that your mother hasn't managed to sew yet. It looked worlds apart from his silk button down and the soft leather of his boots.

The older boy stopped just a little ways from you, hands shoved into his pockets. You simply blinked up at him, wondering to yourself if he is one of the town's aristocrats and if you should bow to greet him.

"So you've started training now, I see."

You gave him a confused look before your eyes landed on the crossbow you were holding. Understanding lit up your features then and you hoisted the weapon up to sling it by your shoulders by its strap.

"Yes. But I'm still bad at it. I was hoping to catch a bird at least," you said with a slightly sulky tone.

The boy chuckled. You were trying your best to remember his name, but you couldn't quite wrap your head around it even though it was already at the tip of your tongue.

"You're mister… Jae… Ja…"

He raised his brows slightly as he waited for you to find the answer. Finally, a light bulb took off in your head and you grinned at him excitedly.

"Mister Jaemin!"

He gave you a pleased nod. As if uttering his name unlocked an imaginary barrier he couldn't cross before, he finally stepped closer to lessen the distance between the two of you, stopping a few feet from where you stood.

"You still remember it. Good girl."

Maybe it was just your imagination, but there is something about his voice that eases you into a strange kind of calmness. You can't really describe the feeling, but it's something similar to floating in water… like it was lulling you to sleep. You quickly tried to ignore it and blamed the heat for giving you weird thoughts instead.

"Do you live around here, Sir?" You asked politely. You're still not sure if he is a royal or an official, but it wouldn't hurt for you to be formal just in case.

"Mm… you can say that I guess," Jaemin answered vaguely. "I do visit the forest every now and then."

"Are you also a hunter then, perhaps?" You asked again, a curious expression settling over your features. In your township, all of the families with a hunting lineage reside in the forest borders for the sake of having easy access to their game. Your own home is the same, having been the same manor that housed your ancestors.

You watched as the corners of his lips twitched at your question in amusement. Jaemin pulled his hands from his pockets then and clasped them behind his back as he looked down on you, eyes glinting.

"I guess you could say that… I do some hunting here and there."

"Mm," you hummed in answer. He does look far from the usual hunters of your place—too prim and proper and elegant—but then again, those from wealthy families do try the activity as a form of leisure sport. Your gaze moved now to the small clearing where you lost your only hope for a game, a disappointed look briefly passing your features.

Jaemin noticed, his gaze following the area where you were staring. Silently, he took a step to the side so he was standing beside you instead. You glanced at his action, quickly noting how pale he looked even under the beating heat of the sun.

"Do you want me to teach you how to hunt?"

His question took you a bit by surprise. It was the least you were expecting from him, and you couldn't help the look of doubt that flashed in your eyes. You may be younger by years, but with all due respect to him… it’s hard for you to believe that he knows a thing about what you're doing. He looks more like a coddled prince than anything.

"Are you good?" The words were out of your lips before you could even stop yourself. Honestly, you’re quite aware that your crassness is one of your less than desirable habits—as your mother would always love to point out—but you couldn’t help it, especially during moments such as this. You immediately pursed your lips after that outburst and shot the older boy a quick look to gauge his reaction. 

For about half a second, there was nothing but a look of surprise in Jaemin’s face as he looked on to you. Then, all of a sudden, he broke into laughter, his lean form bending a bit in his amusement. His voice rang loud and clear in the woods as he threw his head back and you simply looked on to him, surprised and confused at the same time.

"Am I good? I guess you could say I am," he said now, his sweet tone still laced with mirth. He moved his head a little bit to the side as he grinned and nodded towards the crossbow flung over your shoulder. "How about we check that now? I’ll give you a test and let’s see if you can answer. Do you know what caused you to miss your target earlier?"

You frowned at the sudden attack. That's the thing. You were sure that you had applied every single rule your father told you, from the way you should hold your bow, down to how you should pull the trigger. By theory, you should have done well, so the fact that you didn't still incenses you until now.

"My hand was too… shaky…?" You offered as an answer as you peered at the older boy. He simply shook his head.

"You were too impatient."

You blinked up at him. As if he sensed your confusion, he turned towards the clearing and pointed at the place you were targeting earlier.

"You tried to shoot your arrow while your prey is still on high alert. It was too early for you to try and go for the kill."

"But that—"

"That isn't what your parents told you, isn't it?" Jaemin asked, finishing your sentence for you. Your silence made him smile.

"Here's the thing about hunting… it's not a one-sided thing. Most hunters like your family would say that the odds are always tipped to the one who is holding the weapon, but it is not always the case. You have to learn how to read your prey as well… similar to how you would if you are dancing with someone. Study their movements. Only then will you know the perfect time to jump on your target."

You let his words sink in slowly. It is definitely the exact opposite of the little training your father has given you so far, but you can't deny that his' makes a lot of sense. You gnawed on the inside of your cheek now, mulling over something.

"Well, that's one piece of advice I can give. You don't have to take it," Jaemin said and you saw him take a step back to turn and leave. Before he could, however, you called out to him again, your small voice more sure this time.

"Wait, mister!"

He moved to look at you and raised a brow in question. You felt heat flush on your cheeks then as you fiddled with the leather strap of your bow.

"C-can you… teach me more?"

Jaemin smiled as he turned his body to face you once more. Slowly, he offered you his hand, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"I'll see what I can do if you promise to try your best. Deal?"

For a moment you just stared at his outstretched palm. You weren't so used to hand shaking because it feels so formal, as if you are sealing down a contract. Still, you threw caution to the wind and took it, your own small hand wrapping around his cold one. You gave it one firm shake as you met his gaze with a decided stare.

"Deal."

-----

For the next six years, Jaemin dipped in and out of your life. There are moments when he will be there with you for weeks to teach and guide you around the forest, but then there are also those phases when he wouldn't show up for a whole season. It used to bother you at first, until you got a little bit older and realized that there is a sense of consistency even in his erratic pattern. 

Even if you wouldn’t see him for long periods, you never doubted his promise to help you out. If there’s one thing you were always sure of in your odd mentor-student dynamic, it’s the fact that he is always there whenever you need him. The woods, after all, is not exactly a child's playground so you've had your fair share of brushes with death; and while most of the time you would manage to evade them on your own, he was always there to step in during moments when you need a little help. His timing was always perfect... as if he is always watching you from afar. 

It was that sureness that lent you the confidence to navigate around the forest every single time, even though you know deep inside how inappropriate it is for you to rely on him. On the other hand, nobody can also counter how skilled you have become under his watch and guidance. You still trained under your father—who was unaware of the presence of your other mentor, by the way—but it was Jaemin who really helped mold you to become one of the kingdom’s most promising young hunters.

You are sure of your talents, of course… However, there is still one thing that you are yet to achieve yourself.

Win against him.

You slowly put your crossbow down as you watched your arrow find its target. A young deer collapsed to the ground, its hind legs kicking desperately as it hit the forest floor. With a frown, you picked yourself up from where you were huddled and quickly went over it, guilt written in your eyes as you leaned over the frail thing.

"I'm so sorry. I hit you in the wrong place. Don't worry, you won't be in pain now," you said softly as you quickly ran a hand over its belly. Your other hand pulled the knife strapped to your belt and you bent over to slice a small cut on the animal's neck. It immediately stopped its struggle, its eyes turning glassy as the last of its life left it.

You sighed and straightened up after quickly wiping the blood from your blade. You’ve always hated kills like this because they always mean you failed in giving a quick, painless death to your hunts. It’s an important code for hunters to always respect their prey by doing things swiftly, and you admit it is still one part of your skill set that you are yet to perfect. You were about to sheath your knife back to your waist when you felt a slight gust of air touch the nape of your neck then, causing you to gasp and turn around quickly with your weapon on the ready. Your knife stopped mere inches from Jaemin who smiled at you, unbothered by the weapon against his throat.

"For the love of—can you stop creeping up on me?" You said frustratedly as you immediately drew back, taking the blade with you. The boy simply grinned at you charmingly as he watched you tuck the knife back into your belt.

"Don’t you think it’s better practice for you to start paying attention to your surroundings instead?” he asked smoothly, bouncing back the question to you. “You were too focused on saying a prayer for that poor deer just because you weren't able to kill it properly…"

You glanced at him briefly before turning away and opting to look at the fallen animal by your feet instead. You hate that he is always correct in his observations of you, but it’s not only that which makes you unwilling to meet his eyes. In the years that you have been working with Jaemin, there are a few things you've pieced together about this enigma of a man.

First, that he is the epitome of mystery. You still don’t know where he lives or which family he is affiliated with, though it is obvious that he has a comfortable lifestyle that is eons away from what you have. Second, there is no doubt that he is absolutely deadly, not only because of his skills that you can never seem to match, but because of his ethereal beauty that doesn’t even seem to belong to this plane of existence. And yet, those two are the least of what is odd about him. It’s the third one that weighs the most, the one factor that you can never explain even until now.

He never changes.

It wasn't that obvious to you in the first few years that you've spent with him. As an adolescent, there were other things you gave your attention to other than someone's appearance, but you soon caught up with the strangeness of it as you became more conscious of things. Now with you at 19 years of age, Jaemin looks like he still hasn't changed a day since your second meeting when you were thirteen… maybe even when you were a little girl. He still looks the same, a young man barely over twenty.

"I was… I was on target," you mumbled now, unwilling to look him in the eyes. That's another thing about this. You didn't know when it started, but over the years, the way you acted around him had started to change as well. As you matured, something inside of you shifted as well—a fact that you sometimes hate because you know just how much it distracts you from your own goal as his student. Your mistake was that you were too slow to notice where your feelings were going, and by the time you have finally caught up with it, you were already in too deep.

Jaemin, on the other hand, seems tolerant of it at the very least. The man is no innocent when it comes to these things so you are absolutely sure that he can see right through you, but on his part, he has never taken any step about it nor has he acknowledged your shift in perspective towards him in any way.

Honestly, you would be lying if you say it doesn't hurt sometimes.

"You were. But you were too impatient again," he said smoothly, eyes unwavering on you. When you didn't say anything, he sighed before stepping closer to you carefully. You felt his hands gently hold you by the shoulders, causing you to suddenly look up to him in shock. Jaemin didn’t seem bothered by it and simply looked down on you, however, before moving to turn your body so that your back was against him instead. His hands then moved from your shoulders down to your elbows, gently guiding you to put your crossbow in shooting position.

You don't have any idea about what he's trying to do but you let him guide you anyway, even as you were starting to get overwhelmed by his closeness. You felt his cold breath brush the shell of your ear as he leaned a little to match your height.

"Breathe in slowly and hold it midway," he instructed, his lips hovering just by the side of your face. You felt your heartbeat stutter, only barely managing to do what he said before he could even notice your distraction.

"Now position your finger on the trigger," he continued in a low voice as his fingers guided yours to settle on your weapon. Goosebumps rose on the back of your neck and you felt the beginnings of your head starting to swim with his voice.

"Now release," he whispered and you could swear you felt his lips brush your skin. The shock from it made you pull the trigger just as he wanted, sending the arrow flying to a spot on the tree beyond. You blinked at it, only unconsciously releasing half of the breath you have been holding after.

"That is how you do it. You need to breathe properly. You release it too fast and your hold will be shaky, you do it too long and you will lose concentration," Jaemin said, making you turn towards him again in amazement. You didn't even realize that he has taken a step back again, now standing at an appropriate distance from you once more. 

"T-Thank you… I'll keep that in mind."

For a while none of you spoke, the air only broken by the far distant sounds from the birds and other animals in the forest. Jaemin continued to look at you silently as if mulling over something only he knows while you tried your best to look anywhere else but him. It was him who broke the silence first as he shifted his boots over the dried twigs he was standing on.

"If that's it, I shall take my leave. I expect you to improve after today," he said politely with a slight bow of his head before turning back. Your eyes widened at the idea of him leaving and in your hurry, you blurted out the first words that sprung from your mind in your effort to stop him.

"I met someone!"

That made him suddenly stop. It took him a few seconds before he slowly turned towards you again, his face calm. You couldn’t read his face at all, and the only indication that he heard what you said were the slight raising of his brows.

You took that as your cue to continue even though you absolutely have no idea how you wanted to say the rest. So instead of suffering over the awkwardness you started, you let your instinct simply take over by muttering whatever came to your mind next. 

"M-my future husband. I am engaged," you said, your voice only barely managing to stay stable as you finished. You sounded unsure, but you weren't lying, of course. The introductions have indeed been made about a week ago, and the decision has been set by your parents before you even had time to catch your breath. In the end, it was agreed that your union wouldn’t happen until you are twenty, but it is obvious that everything has been set on stone at this point. 

You didn't know what you were expecting by sharing this information with Jaemin now, to be honest, but you are just so set in letting him know about it at the very least. You weren't hoping for anything, no… but still, that doesn't make the pain more bearable when his expression simply remained the same even as you finished with your story. He barely even looked interested, as if the news didn't hold any weight for him.

He gave you slight nod after realizing you were done with your sudden share of news and offered a smile.

"That is good news. You are of age after all."

You felt your heart shatter a little bit.

"When is your wedding?" He asked curiously as if only for the sake of being polite. You tried to swallow back your tears and looked away.

"Next year… After I turn 20…"

Jaemin simply nodded. He didn’t offer anything else and you felt too ashamed of yourself to even try and continue the conversation. When it was obvious that the topic was dead, he gave another polite bow before saying the words that left your heart broken for the second time that day.

"We'll try to finish our training in the next three moons. Let's hope you finally manage to hunt what you're supposed to kill by then."

-----

You trudged through the fog that clouded the forest with deadly silence. Above you, the birds of the night watched you with silent judgment, their eyes glowing from their perches. The full moon waned behind the clouds, giving you enough light to at least not stumble on the dead roots that stuck out from the forest floor.

For a brief moment you were taken over by a strong sense of deja vu, back to a time when you were a mere girl lost in the same woods. The setting is almost the same now, maybe even the emotions too, but instead of feeling lost, you were charging forward, deeper into the forest with purpose instead.

"You must return successful. You have trained your whole life for this. Bring us his head once and for all."

The words of your father rang hollowly in your head again as if he branded them straight to your brain. They followed you like ghosts, weighing down every step you take now as you tried to find your destination.

The night you turned twenty, you were expecting your impending marriage to be the only thing weighing on your mind. Never in your wildest dreams did you imagine the twist that was waiting for you the moment midnight struck to signal your coming of age.

All your life, you only thought that the reason hunting lineages like yours lived on the edge of the forest was to bring you closer to your prey. Never did you realize that there was a second, much important reason behind it...

Which was to keep predators from escaping it.

Predators that feast on blood. Monsters that seduce before they kill. Your father called them by many names—the Undead, Lamia, Nosferatu—but there was only one that stood out and consumed you as he told his story.

Vampires.

You weren't stupid. You already knew Jaemin is of the supernatural, but nothing could prepare you from the news that your destiny was to hunt him down. When your parents told you of a monster that you should kill as a symbolic, coming of age test before officially becoming a vampire hunter, you knew exactly who they were talking about before they could even elaborate. They spoke of him the way people would talk of myths to be feared for good reason. For decades, every first born from your family has tried to hunt him down, only to end up dead.

To be honest, you didn't know how you managed to get out of your home and find your way to the woods after the telling revelation. Yet here you are now, steps heavy and skin cold as you found your way to the clearing you have been looking for. You have no idea why you are so sure that it is the right place, but your gut feeling told you that you are where you are supposed to be—the same clearing where he found you when you were a child.

A slight cracking sound from the edge of the darkened trees triggered your reflexes and before you could even put your mind to it, your body was moving on its own to whip towards the direction of the sound. Your crossbow lifted into the air automatically, easily finding its target who stepped out from the shadows.

Your breath caught in your throat. It's been months since you last saw him—he made true on his promise to stop seeing you after you told him about your impending wedding—but he still had the same effect on you. He looked beautiful and ethereal under the moonlight, his smile enough to make angels weep and demons to run in fear. He was perfect.

"You were right on time. Happy birthday, love," he said softly with a smile, his voice making your heart squeeze. It took you everything to keep your weapon steady on its target—his heart.

"You knew… you knew even back then," you whispered, your tone breaking. You could feel a burning behind your eyes that you harshly blinked away as you met his gaze. Every fiber of your being wanted to break down, but instead you forced yourself to move your finger to rest on the trigger of your crossbow instead. 

Jaemin didn't answer. Instead he continued looking at you... as if he was trying to burn your image in his mind.

"You could have killed me. You had so many chances," you continued and you thought you saw something more human briefly break his perfect facade. "Why didn't you do it?"

You could see him slowly processing your question even as he remained motionless in front of you. From where you stood, he didn’t even look like he was breathing. In the silence, you thought you saw dull flecks of amber glow from the depths of his eyes briefly before dying back down again.

"Because I didn't have a reason to."

"We are enemies!"

Jaemin pursed his lips.

"No we aren't. Your family and your ancestors before you decided on that for the simple reason that we are different from each other. This is a one-sided affair. It is you humans who have started the war and who are continuing it until now."

His words were like blades to your consciousness. You didn't know the full history of your family, but something told you he was telling the truth.

"You… Did you kill my ancestors?"

He didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes. Because they killed mine. Like animals."

"So why… why didn't you…"

"Hurt you?" Jaemin kept his gaze on you, steady and oddly reassuring. You thought briefly if he ever tried using his supernatural pull on you, but it was your own internal voice that answered your question before you could even doubt him more. Even back then, you were sure that it was just you who have gravitated towards him in your own accord.

"Do you think I should have killed you? Would you have preferred that?" He asked softly, his lilting tone reaching out to you across the distance like a cold embrace. You couldn't answer. You didn’t want to answer. 

"Do you want to kill me now?" He asked again, his voice even more gentle as if he was saying the sweetest of words. A cold trickle ran down the side of your cheek, kissing your pale skin and almost blurring your vision.

A faint movement from his side is what set you off. Jaemin took a single step towards you, and before you could even stop yourself, you pulled the trigger of your crossbow, sending the arrow hurtling towards his direction. You gasped. Before you could even catch another breath, however, you felt someone pull you back against his strong chest, one arm circling around your waist and another holding you by the chin. You felt lips against the shell of your ear, hovering over your hair and cheek.

"You're still the same. Too impatient…"

You closed your eyes and gave an involuntary sob. Jaemin finally pressed his lips against your temple before running his nose against the length of your neck.

"J-Jaemin…" you sounded helpless and in pain when you called out to him. His name coming out from your lips made him pull you closer to him.

"Do you want to kill me? You should give me an answer, my love," he asked again, this time in a softer tone. You opened your eyes, gaze finding the moon hovering above you both. Your head is swimming with so many things at the moment, but there was one thing that stood out amongst the mess.

"No," you said, voice barely there but tone determined. "I love you."

Everything that came after you said those words happened in a blur. Your hold on your crossbow loosened as your fingers gave way, causing your weapon to drop to the ground. Before it could even hit the forest floor, however, you felt Jaemin's hand drop to your waist, his slender fingers wrapping around the hilt of your knife there. He tugged at it... then drove it swiftly down your chest, right on your beating heart.

You gasped as the blade sank down on your flesh, the pain too much for your body that it only consumed you for a few seconds before you started going numb. You kept your gaze on the moon above until the edges of your vision started to blur and merge together. You were slowly losing it, all except the feeling of Jaemin's lips buried on your neck, giving you soothing kisses as the life slowly started to fade out of you.

"I love you too, darling."

You smiled as his words broke through your slipping consciousness. Death was within reach for you now and you couldn't be happier that those were the last words you would take to the grave.

Your heart was on its last cycle of heartbeats when a new sensation broke through your fading awareness. You have just closed your eyes to surrender to the darkness when a stinging pain on the side of your neck startled you to consciousness once more. It started small...then it grew and grew by the second, until it finally chased the mellow numbness of death that had temporarily cocooned you. Your eyes flew open again at the intensity of the feeling and your body tightened as if it was shocked back to life. You gasped again, hands clawing at Jaemin's arm which was still holding you securely up by the waist.

You couldn't understand what was happening, other than the fact that your whole being was burning. You were cold, but at the same time, you could feel invisible flames lapping every fiber in your body. Every breath you took wrecked your whole being painfully as if your lungs were collapsing again and again. All throughout Jaemin didn't let you go, his lips pressed against your neck, his teeth on your flesh.

Just as you thought you were on the verge of madness from the torture of it all, a sudden shift happened. The burning sensation gripping your body ebbed and flowed until it finally receded into a slight sting. Behind you, Jaemin finally released your neck, his hold on your waist loosening just enough for you to breathe.

Except you didn't need to breathe. At all.

Confusion overtook you as you looked around the clearing again, your head crystal clear. It felt strange, how your chest didn't have to heave to bring in air to your system like it used to do. You raised one hand to press against it, right above where Jaemin stabbed you to understand what was happening. 

You froze at what you felt. Or rather...what you didn’t.

Your chest? It was motionless.

Your heart is dead.

You slowly turned towards the boy behind you now as realization hit you. Jaemin smiled at you, his eyes full of love. Slowly, you raised your hands to cup his face, your perfect skin melding with his moon-washed paleness.

You smiled. For the first time, you felt truly alive.

"Forever?" You asked in a whisper.

He nodded before slowly leaning forward to meet your lips.

"Till the end of time."

----

ORPHIC | HAECHAN x Reader

Preview: 

Lee Haechan has always been the perfect prince. He is a loyal son, a talented young man, a loving leader, and the one true soul considered to be the future hope of their kingdom. Now ready for kingship, he was given one last duty to fulfill to prove that he is worthy of the throne:

Hunt down the most powerful witch in the country and burn her at the stake.